PHSC Leader Brings Expertise in Higher Education and Workforce Readiness to The Corridor

HEATHROW, Fla. (September 21, 2017) – Timothy Beard, Ph.D., president of Pasco Hernando State College (PHSC), is the newest member of the Florida High Tech Corridor Council.

Beard joined PHSC in 2007 as the vice president of student development and enrollment management after more than 30 years in education and student services. Selected to serve as the college’s fourth president in 2015, Beard has seen enrollment rise by 40 percent under his leadership and several programs spearheaded by Beard have been recognized as “Exemplary Best Practices” by the Association of Florida Colleges.

Beard’s expertise and knowledge in higher education and workforce development will help guide The Corridor in its mission to grow high tech industry and innovation through partnerships that support research, marketing, workforce and entrepreneurship.

Previously, Beard served as dean and vice president of student affairs for the University of South Alabama, providing leadership, strategic vision and oversight to foster an environment that emphasized student success, development and engagement.

Beard earned an M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling and a Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Counseling with an emphasis in Higher Education Administration from Florida State University. He serves on numerous boards and advisory councils throughout Florida, including the Florida College System Council of Presidents, the Center for Community Enrichment Board of Directors, Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point, the Salvation Army Advisory Council and the Pasco Economic Development Council.

About The Florida High Tech Corridor Council

The Florida High Tech Corridor Council is an economic development initiative of the University of Central Florida (UCF), the University of South Florida (USF) and the University of Florida (UF). The mission of The Corridor is to grow high tech industry and innovation through partnerships that support research, marketing, workforce and entrepreneurship.

A partnership involving more than 25 local and regional economic development organizations (EDOs), 14 state colleges and 12 CareerSource boards, The Corridor is co-chaired by the presidents of UCF, USF and UF. The Corridor includes the presidents of two state colleges, the president of the Florida Institute of Technology and representatives of high tech industry.

The unique partnership has resulted in a strategic approach to high tech economic development that supports matching funds research, marketing, workforce development and entrepreneurship leveraging governmental, EDO and corporate budgets on a regional rather than local basis. For more information, visit www.floridahightech.com.

Stories of High Tech Activity Bring People and Companies in the Region Alive

Heathrow, Fla. (Sept. 8, 2017) – The Corridor is charged to grow high tech industry in a 23-county region and new stories of that growth have been shared by the organization in its digital magazine.

A glimpse into new stories…

Have you ever written something off as ‘impossible’ only to be happily proved wrong?

Niko Pamboukas knows that feeling. His son, Zachary Pamboukas, was born without an arm and has spent most of his life getting creative when tasks, like riding a bicycle, called for using two arms. Niko had written off a ‘normal’ life for his son, Zachary, until they were introduced to Orlando’s Limbitless Solutions. The company creates bionic arms for children at the fraction of market cost using 3-D printing technology.

It is in good company among leaders in research, patient care and a medical city that represent health care innovation happening in The Corridor.

The Corridor is also home to a unique credential in biotechnology earned through the Biotechnician Assistant Credentialing Exam (BACE), which is often taken before graduating high school. It was created by the University of Florida’s Biotility, an organization focused on building a biotechnology workforce, to help students develop and validate skills in high demand by private industry. It has gained prestige as it was adopted in Florida and Arizona, and piloted in Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas and Washington. Syngenta, a worldwide agritechnology company, has hired recent high school graduates because of the credential.

Lastly, our region is known for creating unbelievable experiences. Visitors flock to Florida and are met with entertainment technology at various venues that deliver lasting memories. Theme parks come to mind, but the behind-the-scenes high tech work is not limited to these thrill rides. The Corridor has more to offer.

The Florida High Tech Corridor Council is an economic development initiative of the University of Central Florida (UCF), the University of South Florida (USF) and the University of Florida (UF). The mission of The Corridor is to grow high tech industry and innovation through partnerships that support research, marketing, workforce and entrepreneurship.

A partnership involving more than 25 local and regional economic development organizations (EDOs), 14 state colleges and 12 CareerSource boards, The Corridor is co-chaired by the presidents of UCF, USF and UF. The Corridor includes the presidents of two state colleges, the president of the Florida Institute of Technology and representatives of high tech industry.

The unique partnership has resulted in a strategic approach to high tech economic development that supports matching funds research, marketing, workforce development and entrepreneurship leveraging governmental, EDO and corporate budgets on a regional rather than local basis.

Business Facilities

You can have peace-of-mind when you locate your business in Florida. The state’s favorable business tax structure, government policies and competitive costs make planning for future growth easy. Florida consistently ranks among the best states for business, thanks to its pro-business state tax policies, competitive cost of doing business and streamlined regulatory environment. The state is proud of its welcoming business climate and competitive advantages.

Florida’s government and economic development leaders work together to ensure that the state’s business climate remains favorable to companies of all sizes, including some of the nation’s leading corporations. Florida is working on legislative, fiscal and marketplace initiatives such as insurance tort reform, targeted industry incentives and many more. Florida is also a right-to-work state.

Florida offers a cost-efficient alternative to other competitive high-tech states. Put simply, land, labor, and capital are more affordable in Florida than in California or New York, for example. In addition, for businesses in certain targeted industries or specialized locations, the state offers additional financial incentives. Businesses looking for workforce training, road infrastructure or specialized locations may also qualify for specific incentive programs.

Business dollars go a lot farther in Florida given the state’s tax advantages, tax exemptions and no state personal income tax. Businesses thrive in this low-tax environment, and employees enjoy the benefit of no personal income tax.

Florida understands that businesses need certainty, predictability and efficiency in government regulations. The state’s regulatory agencies and local governments provide quicker, less costly and more predictable permitting processes for significant economic development projects without reducing environmental standards.

Florida offers growing businesses access to capital from private, state, federal and other sources. The state has implemented capital formation initiatives, such as the Florida Opportunity Fund, and economic gardening programs that help Florida businesses expand by offering specialized services such as market information, leadership development, and business management tools.

By Hope Winsborough, Crain’s

Florida’s history as an innovation hub includes such modern-day breakthroughs as air conditioning, Gatorade and even the first smart phone. And while the rest of the nation may think of the state as theme-park central, technology insiders know better.

Florida International University in Miami just announced its new internet of things degree, the first in the U.S. In Orlando, the University of Central Florida’s video-gaming program is ranked top in North America. And Miami Beach recently hosted the fourth annual eMerge Americas technology conference featuring keynotes by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, rap star – and Florida tourism pitchman – Pitbull, and baseball superstar/“Shark Tank” investor Alex Rodriguez.

Public and private entities, as well as nonprofits and investors throughout the state, are collaborating to further Florida’s rich legacy via innovative initiatives designed with technological advancement in mind. The grandfather of them all, the Florida High Tech Corridor Council, known as The Corridor, was formed in 1996 to grow high-tech industry and innovation through partnerships that support research, marketing, workforce development and entrepreneurship in a 23-county region. That’s just over one-third of the state’s total.

By Chris Gerbasi, Lake & Sumter Style

The Florida High Tech Corridor connects counties, including Lake and Sumter, to resources to maximize their technological development.

Lake and Sumter counties are trying to stake their claim in the still-evolving economy of technology, as a giant network guides a large swath of the state toward growth in the industry.

The Florida High Tech Corridor spans 23 counties banding together in an economic development initiative to market their high-tech assets. The corridor is connected by three research universities—Central Florida, South Florida, and Florida—more than 25 economic development organizations, 14 state/community colleges, 12 regional workforce boards, and numerous industry groups.

The mission is to increase the region’s high-tech presence through partnerships that support the workforce, entrepreneurship, marketing, and research between the universities and industry partners.

The Corridor travels along interstates 4 and 75, so Lake and Sumter are natural partners in the initiative.

“As the state of Florida tries to diversify its economy from hospitality and tourism, it’s certainly more important that we put technology at the forefront,” says Robert Chandler, Lake’s economic growth director.

For Fifth Consecutive Year, UCF, USF and UF Rival Other Research Hubs in High Tech Growth

HEATHROW, Fla. (June 6, 2017) – The three Florida High Tech Corridor research universities – the University of Central Florida (UCF), the University of South Florida (USF) and the University of Florida (UF) – individually ranked among the top 50 universities worldwide that were granted U.S. patents in 2016, according to a list released by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO).

For the fifth consecutive year, the three Corridor universities collectively beat the patent portfolios of university groups in the established high tech hubs of North Carolina’s Research Triangle and the Silicon Hills region in Austin, Texas. The Corridor universities were granted a combined 261 patents, while 152 patents were granted to Research Triangle universities (Duke University, North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina) and 234 patents were granted to Silicon Hills universities (the entire University of Texas system, Rice University and Texas A&M University).

Among the top 100 universities worldwide, USF ranked 11th, UF ranked 18th and UCF ranked 41st. The list recognizes the significant role patents play in university research and highlights The Corridor region’s growth as a high tech hub through continued innovation and technology transfer from universities to the marketplace.

“For an unbelievable five years in a row, The Corridor has continued to climb the ranks in terms of patents to stand alongside notable high tech hubs across the country,” said Ed Schons, president of the Florida High Tech Corridor Council. “The outcome of this report is a testament to the work of our talented researchers, scientists and innovators, and it illustrates the promising and continued growth of our region.”

The Florida High Tech Corridor Council is an economic development initiative of the University of Central Florida (UCF), the University of South Florida (USF) and the University of Florida (UF). The mission of The Corridor is to grow high tech industry and innovation through partnerships that support research, marketing, workforce and entrepreneurship.

A partnership involving more than 25 local and regional economic development organizations (EDOs), 14 state/community colleges and 12 CareerSource boards, the Council is co-chaired by the presidents of UCF, USF and UF. The Council includes the presidents of two of the community colleges, the president of the Florida Institute of Technology and representatives of high tech industry.

The unique partnership has resulted in a strategic approach to high tech economic development that supports matching funds research, marketing, workforce development and entrepreneurship leveraging governmental, EDO and corporate budgets on a regional rather than local basis.

By Marco Santana, Orlando Sentinel

Some soon-to-be 11th graders in Osceola County will be part of the first group of students to get an inside look at a sensor research facility in Kissimmee next month.

It will be a test run of what officials at the high-tech building known as BRIDG hope becomes a regular event, one meant to encourage students to enroll in science, technology, engineering and mathematics courses in college.

“It’s part of the sustainable economic transformation we are trying to lead here in Osceola County,” he said. “We need to think about this project in a way that it builds the workforce and starts interest in these careers early on in their lives. We are trying to give kids an inspiration, something that will get them excited.”

The stage for that effort: a 109,000-square-foot building on the former Judge Farms property in Kissimmee.

BRIDG, which only recently opened its doors officially, will host a group of 30 students beginning June 13. Engineers and other tech professionals will explain the jobs and technologies being used at BRIDG to the rising juniors.

The three-day program, which uses a curriculum developed by California-based nonprofit SEMI Foundation, also includes visits to St. Cloud motor manufacturer Mercury Marine and University of Central Florida. Florida High Tech Corridor Council and Osceola County Education Foundation are footing the bill.

Media Contacts:

We would be happy to put you in contact with industry experts who can speak to a variety of technology topics in their area of expertise. For a preview of the leaders who can share their experience in growing tech-based businesses in the Corridor, explore the videos of our Faces of Technology.